Live / Dead Songs Ranked
Live/Dead is the first official live album released by the rock band Grateful Dead. Recorded over a series of concerts in early 1969 and released later the same year, it was the first live rock album to use 16-track recording. In 2005 the tracks “Dark Star”, “St. Stephen”, “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”, “Feedback” and “We Bid You Goodnight” were released, in their original sequence and with a new mix, on the respective February 27, 1969 and March 2, 1969 discs of the Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings box set (the first 1:34 of “Dark Star” can be found on the previous track, “Mountains of the Moon”). “Feedback” and “We Bid You Goodnight” were also released on the triple disc, highlights release Fillmore West 1969. Here are all of Live / Dead songs ranked.
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7. And We Bid You Goodnight
“And We Bid You Goodnight” is just a 30-second thingy with pleasant vocals. The final track is a simple, sweet a capella number. The Grateful Dead seemed to me like they were a two-trick pony. You had your lengthy “feeling good” guitar jams, and you had your pleasant country rockers.”
6. The Eleven
“The Eleven” features more jamming like you heard in “Dark Star”, only “The Eleven” is more in-your-face with more excitement and energy. This is probably my favorite song on the album. “The Eleven” is a fiery, propulsive, and jazzy workout with some white-hot guitars and propulsive rhythms. “
See more: Grateful Dead Albums Ranked
5. Feedback
“Feedback” is, believe it or not, nearly eight minutes of guitar feedback. If that sounds like a horribly pretentious idea to you, you just may be in for a surprise: The song’s in-the-red levels of distortion nd shifting textures make for an oddly engaging listen.”
4. Saint Stephen
“When that monster is finally over, it’s only right to have the follow up song be something more melodic (in order to shift gears and keep everyones attention). “Saint Stephen” does just that. The Grateful Dead were also very good at being emotionally-connecting to the listener, and this song is proof of that.”
3. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
“The slow blues track Death Don’t Have No Mercy is beautiful, with a great vocal by Jerry. “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” is equally heartfelt, but slows things down to where you could draw breath between each beat.”
See more: Grateful Dead Songs Ranked
2. Dark Star
“I’ve been told that to declare the existence of a definitive version of “Dark Star” is to reveal oneself as a Dead pretender, a neophyte in this unique world of fandom. Well, it’s entirely true that I never followed the band around the country or tripped on acid, shrooms, or anything else while listening to their music, but what I have done is listen to many, many versions of “Dark Star,” the track that got me into the band. “
1. Turn on Your Love Light
“My favorite track is Pigpen’s blues rave-up Turn on Your Love Light. It shows that the Dead could rock like hell when they wanted to. It wasn’t all space jamming.”